This Rivington Street bakery offers a complete circle of baked goods beyond just doughnuts (just take a look at their Instagram) from cruffins to croissants and even soft serve. Purists of the cinnamon-sugared variety are unlikely to find solace here though, but adventure-seeking foodies are rewarded with a 50% butter brioche doughnut and a seasonally-changing menu of flavours from the likes of strawberry, basil and rhubarb to a tangy passionfruit sugar variety.

Since opening in 2008, Christine Tosi’s Milk Bar bakery has earned its stripes as a true New York institution. With outlets across the city, we recommend heading to their Chelsea store to pick up slices of their birthday cake, compost cookies and the now infamous ‘crack’ pie before walking to Maddison Square Park (15 min walk). Bring your stretchy pants and best Instagram game.

It’s near impossible to get a table off the street at Roberta’s and for good reason. This East Williamsburg venue in Brooklyn pumps out the city’s best pizzas with charred crusts and a variety of toppings seven days a week. Equally as good are the plates of pasta (the cacio e pepe and the spaccatelli are both winners) and with a killer wine list to boot, it’s worth the wait time to secure a booking.

Go early and go hungry to this true Big Apple stalwart where four generations of the Russ family have fed New Yorkers since 1914. Don’t go past the classic bagel with lox and schmear, pickled herring and challah. If you’re looking to eat-in, the family also have the pumping Russ and Daughters Café around the corner on Orchard St.

If being in the heart of Manhattan’s bustling Times Square is on the bucket list, Moxy Times Square is perhaps unmatched when it comes to location. The quirky, modern hotel is stripped of unnecessary bells and whistles, and full of essentials for the ultimate city stay. For those who want to be a bit further afield but still in the heart of the action, the newly opened Moxy Chelsea in the city’s flower district offers the same quirky amenities with unparalleled views of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty from its 35th-floor bar, The Fleur Room.

This 7th Avenue restaurant does away with the usual stigma associated with hotel restaurants (you’ll find it’s part of Moxy Times Square). With Jason Hall (previously of Gotham Bar & Grill and Craft) at the helm, this is a serious restaurant in its own right. Expect classics from east and west coast oysters, lobster bakes and shellfish towers alongside firm favourites such as the Chatham cod ‘fish and chips’ and spicy crab beignets on the menu. Go for the seafood and the theatre, just don’t pass on the opportunity for seconds of the devilishly addictive buttered, salted yeast rolls.

When it opened in 2016, it was heralded as one of the best restaurants of the century by the New York Post thanks in part to chef Daniel Rose’s glorious French cooking. Having made a name for himself in Paris with Spring and La Bourse et La Vie, the Chicago-born chef works behind the pans here plating up dishes from an open kitchen that ring true to traditional French cuisine. The canette à l’orange (roasted duckling with endives braised with orange) for two makes for a romantic way to spend a New York night in the Empire City, as does the chocolate crémeux with marsala sabayon. Book in advance and make a night of it at this grand Parisian bistro on the outskirts of Chinatown.

There’s no better way to kick the jetlag upon arrival than waking up early and hitting the pavement for a run in Central Park. A full loop of the park will take you from Park Drives on the West and East sides (around 9.8km), but if you’re looking to take it easy the Reservoir loop is your best bet with small inclines and coming in at just under 3km, it offers some of the best views of the city. If a day of eating is on the cards, we recommend starting from Center Drive on Central Park South (59th St) following the eastern path to Park Drive around and down to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Continue along the path around the reservoir until you arrive at Park Drive West which will loop you past the Great Lawn and back up to the starting point on Central Park South. Stopping for Instagram shots (also known as breathing breaks) is totally acceptable.

You could brave the queues of the Empire State Building (or Rockefeller Centre), those of the Statue of Liberty or even the crowds at Grand Central Station but for that special post guaranteed to get your phone buzzing, head to Dumbo’s Washington Street in Brooklyn. Go early to beat the growing number of grammers catching on at this prime location, that when aligned correctly in frame offers views of the Washington Bridge and the Empire State Building.